Chiefs’ Mecole Hardman has ‘a good chance’ to return from IR in time to face Seahawks
The Chiefs’ wide receiver corps should be back at full strength this weekend for the first time in more than a month.
Chiefs coach Andy Reid sounded optimistic Tuesday that Mecole Hardman (abdomen) would be available for Saturday’s game against the Seattle Seahawks at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium.
“There’s a good chance,” Reid said. “He’ll practice with the guys (Tuesday) and see if we can get him in there a little bit.”
Hardman hasn’t played since Week 9 and missed Week 10 because of the abdominal issue. The Chiefs placed Hardman on injured reserve on Nov. 17, and he was unavailable for games against the Los Angeles Chargers, Los Angeles Rams, Cincinnati Bengals, Denver Broncos and Houston Texans.
The Chiefs designated Hardman as ready to return to practice last week, opening a 21-day window in which they had to decide whether to activate him. Before the missed time, Hardman totaled 25 catches for 297 yards and four touchdowns, adding 31 yards rushing and two touchdowns on four carries in eight games.
“He’s been ready to go,” Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes said. “He’s been trying to get back as quickly as possible. He still has that great energy that he has in the locker room.
“We’ll get him in there hopefully, if everything goes well this week, and let him kind of get back in the role that he was in.”
If Hardman indeed makes his return Saturday, the Chiefs would have Hardman, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Marquez Valdez-Scantling, Justin Watson, Kadarius Toney and rookie Skyy Moore together for the first time since Week 9. Toney missed Weeks 12-14 with a hamstring injury before returning in Week 15 (this past Sunday in Houston).
While Hardman has made fine progress, the same can’t be said for running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire, who landed on injured reserve on Nov. 23.
Edwards-Helaire is eligible to return to practice this week, but Reid pumped the brakes on such speculation.
“He’s not quite there yet, but he is getting close,” Reid said. “He’s working his tail off, but we’ll see. He won’t be out there this week.”
The Chiefs have relied on rookie running back Isiah Pacheco, Jerick McKinnon and Ronald Jones during Edwards-Helaire’s absence.
This story was originally published December 20, 2022 at 1:15 PM.
